The Hindu : Kerala News : Tension at school

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Tuesday, Jul 08, 2008
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Kerala

Tension at school

Staff Reporter

Over headmaster’s suspension

MALAPPURAM: Tension prevailed at Government U.P. School at Thrikkulam near Chemmad in Malappuram district on Monday as teachers, parents, students, and local people belonging to different political organisations staged protests and counter-protests over the suspension of the school headmaster, A.P. Ramesan.

Mr. Ramesan had been suspended by the Education authorities in connection with the tearing-off of the controversial lessons from the Class VII textbooks by the students of the school. Parents, teachers and local people owing allegiance to the United Democratic Front (UDF) staged separate dharnas in front of the school on Monday demanding revoking of the headmaster’s suspension. A group of primary students staged a demonstration on the campus raising the same demand.

The situation turned tense when CPI(M) activists joined the issue by taking staging a demonstration demanding dismissal of the headmaster for his failure to prevent the destruction of lessons and to report it in time. Several organizations supporting the Left Democratic Front (LDF) also joined the issue. K. Abdul Rahman, Assistant Education Officer, Parappanangadi, stopped the classes at 1 p.m. as the protests escalated. He said that the classes were suspended as the student protest reached a stage where conducting of classes became difficult.

Activists of various Left organizations, including DYFI and SFI, took out demonstrations through Chemmad town in the evening demanding severe action against the headmaster. Parties like People’s DemocraticParty (PDP) and the Indian National League (INL) supported the Left.

Teachers belonging to the Government School Teachers Union (GSTU) and the Kerala School Teachers Union (KSTU) with UDF allegiance also staged dharnas on the school premises. KSTU general secretary A.K. Zainuddeen threatened to spread the agitation throughout the district if the government did not withdraw the headmaster’s suspension. He said the action was a political vendetta against those with UDF allegiance. He said the headmaster was in no way responsible for the action of the students.

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